Casey Kotchman, good luck and adieu

Casey Kotchman, a marvelous defensive first baseman whose bat didn't produce enough to keep him in the lineup, refused an outright minor league assignment by the Seattle Mariners and has become a free agent

The move continued a purge of players the Mariners saw no upside with - Russell Branyan, Erik Bedard and Jose Lopez included - as general manager Jack Zduriencik continues to rework his roster.

Acquired last January when the Mariners sent Bill Hall to the Boston Red Sox, Kotchman opened the season in the heart of manager Don Wakamatsu's lineup. By mid-May, Kotchman's numbers had dropped him down the batting order and, with close friend Chone Figgins, Kotchman lost faith in Wakamatsu.

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Once the Mariners acquired rookie first baseman Justin Smoak from Texas in July, Kotchman's future with the club ended. He played sparingly until Smoak went to the minor leagues in August. A journeyman at 27, Kotchman has played for the Angels, Braves, Red Sox and Mariners.

In the past week, the Mariners have taken Branyan, Bedard, Lopez, Kotchman, Sean White, Brian Sweeney and Ryan Langerhans off their major league roster, along with pitchers Ryan Feierabend and Chris Seddon.

About Bob Dutton

Bob Dutton joined The News Tribune in 2013 after more than 25 years at the Kansas City Star, including the last 13 covering baseball and the Royals. He was the president of the Baseball Writers' Association of America in 2008 and serves on the committee that nominates players to the Hall of Fame.